Sizing Knitwear Patterns

Whether your goal is to sell online, get published, or knit a sweater to fit, with Faina's expert grading tips, you'll be on your way to pattern success!

Knitwear designer and math professor Faina Goberstein walks you step-by-step through every calculation involved in grading a range of sizes, from the initial gauge swatch through shaping a garment and calculating yardage. You will conquer your pattern-grading fears and finish with a pattern that's ready to knit, and the knowledge and tools to use these skills for years to come.

Lesson plan

Lesson 1. Introduction

Meet Faina, learn about the Craftsy platform and get started on sizing basics.

1:09:26

Lesson 2. Important Beginnings

Get started with the basics! Learn about measurements and swatching. Make your first gauge swatch and get used to calculating gauge.

44:11

Lesson 3. Excel Basics

Learn how this common spreadsheet program can help you with your calculations. Get set up, copy your calculations and learn how to format your cell.

1:05:50

Lesson 4. Plan Before You Cast On

Planning your knitting can be the difference to making a perfect fit! A little math will make your knitting fit; learn some basic cast-on and sizing calculations.

42:59

Lesson 5. Waist Shaping

Get the fit you want through the middle using decreases and calculations of slope.

22:10

Lesson 6. Armhole Shaping & Sleeve Options

Get the sleeve look you want with bind-offs and shaping techniques.

1:02:15

Lesson 7. Neckline & Shoulder Shaping

Connect those seams and plan your stitches. Learn about shoulders and neckline shaping with so many possibilities!

1:17:39

Lesson 8. Sleeves

Calculate those slopes and increases for the right fit in your sleeves.

25:17

Lesson 9. Estimated Yardage & Wrapping Up

Figure out what you'll need. Use geometry to make your schematics work and calculate yardage.

"Faina is a wonderful instructor, she's incredibly good at explaining things that I never in a million years would have thought I would understand ... The biggest roadblock for me and getting my designs out of my head has been the math and the why and how behind it all. She explains everything beautifully. I am so happy that I took a chance on this class! Can't wait to get my patterns finished! :)" - PhancyPahntsIn my own little world!

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Lesson 1. Introduction

Meet Faina, learn about the Craftsy platform and get started on sizing basics.

1:09:26

Lesson 2. Important Beginnings

Get started with the basics! Learn about measurements and swatching. Make your first gauge swatch and get used to calculating gauge.

44:11

Lesson 3. Excel Basics

Learn how this common spreadsheet program can help you with your calculations. Get set up, copy your calculations and learn how to format your cell.

1:05:50

Lesson 4. Plan Before You Cast On

Planning your knitting can be the difference to making a perfect fit! A little math will make your knitting fit; learn some basic cast-on and sizing calculations.

42:59

Lesson 5. Waist Shaping

Get the fit you want through the middle using decreases and calculations of slope.

22:10

Lesson 6. Armhole Shaping & Sleeve Options

Get the sleeve look you want with bind-offs and shaping techniques.

1:02:15

Lesson 7. Neckline & Shoulder Shaping

Connect those seams and plan your stitches. Learn about shoulders and neckline shaping with so many possibilities!

1:17:39

Lesson 8. Sleeves

Calculate those slopes and increases for the right fit in your sleeves.

25:17

Lesson 9. Estimated Yardage & Wrapping Up

Figure out what you'll need. Use geometry to make your schematics work and calculate yardage.

The instructor

Faina Goberstein, Instructor of Sizing Knitwear Patterns

Knitwear designer and math professor Faina frequently publishes patterns in yarn knitting magazines and is also the co-author of Casual, Elegant Knits. She was born and raised in Russia and began to knit at age 8. She loves designing and math, and started out as a design engineer (knitting was her escape from the high stress job). She considers herself a math geek and thinks that grading is a lot of fun!

Ratings & reviews

Class rating

(30 reviews)

A valuable class

by noale on March 7, 2015

Thank you Faina and Craftsy for this class. It gives you a wealth of information about designing and sizing your sweater. Learning to use Excel for patterns is a huge bonus. It's such an excellent class that one will keep coming back for reference.

Thank you Faina and Craftsy for this class. It gives you a wealth of information about designing and sizing your sweater. Learning to use Excel for patterns is a huge bonus. It's such an excellent class that one will keep coming back for reference.

awesomely helpful

by sneezerville on February 28, 2015

Thank you so much Faina for teaching this class. I learned a ton of helpful information for working with my designs in the future. I love the fact that you showed how to do all of this in EXCEL. I have just been using pen and paper and a handy dandy calculator. Now I can set up a couple of worksheets, plug some numbers and go! PS. I loved listening to your beautiful accent, Faina!

Thank you so much Faina for teaching this class. I learned a ton of helpful information for working with my designs in the future. I love the fact that you showed how to do all of this in EXCEL. I have just been using pen and paper and a handy dandy calculator. Now I can set up a couple of worksheets, plug some numbers and go! PS. I loved listening to your beautiful accent, Faina!

Very Helpful

by Claudjab on November 24, 2014

I'm learning a lot! Thank you

I'm learning a lot! Thank you

Taught me what I wanted to know

by Mountainlover on November 1, 2014

This class uses a specific sweater design to show how to design using standard measurements. My goal was to learn how to design a different sweater using my measurements. Following Faina's examples, I was able to do that. I combined what I learned in this class with the Vogue Knitting and Knitwear Design Workshop books to develop my sweater pattern. I used Faina's calculations and spreadsheet as a template and then developed my own by changing it around, adding calculations, and adding more ...

This class uses a specific sweater design to show how to design using standard measurements. My goal was to learn how to design a different sweater using my measurements. Following Faina's examples, I was able to do that. I combined what I learned in this class with the Vogue Knitting and Knitwear Design Workshop books to develop my sweater pattern. I used Faina's calculations and spreadsheet as a template and then developed my own by changing it around, adding calculations, and adding more notes. I will use it as I design or adapt existing patterns for my measurements. Faina's table for calculating increases/decreases was helpful, but I decided to calculate them myself using the formulas in Knitwear Design Workshop because they are more flexible.